A photo of students of a school from Uasin Gishu county demonstrating against the transfer of one of their teachers has become a subject of online discussion after placards they held showed poorly written words with ‘pathetic’ English.

The students are apparently from Kaprobu Primary school and were protesting the transfer of their deputy head teacher.

Opinion may be divided among Kenyans but many believe the levels of education in the country are seriously wanting.

While children in urban and cosmopolitan areas speak and understand English by the time they join school, those in rural areas are likely to learn the language after joining school or take longer before grasping it fully.

This explains why some believe the Kaprobu pupils should be pardoned for using ‘broken’ English to air their grievances.

After all, as Ngugi wa Thiong’o would say, knowing and being proud of your first language is the only thing you should be proud of.